No. 18 Kentucky softball clubs No. 19 Oregon 12-3 in 5 innings

For the second time in an many days, Oregon got in a hole it couldn’t dig out of.

Maddie MacGrandle issued a pair of walks and a two-run double to open the game and a fatigued Jordan Dail put the fire out, but eventually No. 18 Kentucky broke through against No. 19 Oregon’s ace as well and then ended a 12-3 onslaught in five innings at the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational Saturday afternoon by teeing off on MacGrandle once more.

Against just 11 batters, MacGrandle allowed six runs on five hits, including two doubles and two home runs, and three walks and threw two wild pitches.

It’s a continuation of control issues for MacGrandle, who gave up five runs on eight hits and four walks over 4.1 innings in a loss to James Madison on Friday and has issued 22 walks over 16.1 innings to start this season.

Kentucky (5-5) broke through against Dail in the third as Abbey Cheek opened with a solo home run and a string of three straight pinch hitters got on via a pair of singles and RBI double that made it 5-0.

Dail, who threw 131 pitches in a no-hitter against FAU earlier in the day, issued back-to-back walks to start the fourth and Mallory Peyton followed with an RBI double. Dail’s day ended after another free pass loaded the bases and she allowed six runs on six hits and six walks over three innings.

Sarah Rainwater hit a two-run single off MacGrandle to make it 8-0 after four.

Needing to score to prolong the game, Cherish Burks opened the fifth with a leadoff single for the Ducks (7-2), who got down to their last out when Haley Cruse hit an RBI single to left, Allee Bunker singled and Rachel Cid drove them both in with a double to right-center that made it 8-3. Oregon was 1 for 18 with runners in scoring position prior to the hits from Cruse and Cid, which ended the day for Kentucky freshman Meghan Schorman, who allowed three runs on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts over 4.2 innings.

The game wasn’t extended for long though, as MacGrandle walked Kayla Kowalik, Katie Reed followed with a two-run blast, Jenny Schaper doubled to right-center and two batters later Peyton crushed a walk-off two-run shot to left-center.